New Year severe weather warning

The New Year will bring with it further heavy rainfall and high winds as many people are still dealing with the effects of power outages and flooding over the Christmas period.

Those heading out to celebrate the start of 2014 are likely to avoid heavy downpours but the Met Office has issued severe weather warnings in the south of England and west of Scotland for New Year's Day as rain moves in from the Atlantic.

Many roads have been affected by rainfall, with flooding on the A76, A75 and A74 in Scotland. The A76 is closed at Kirkconnel, while a landslide caused the A7 near Langholm to be shut for a time.

The Met Office said any rain that falls on New Year's Eve isn't likely to be as heavy as it has been in the last few days but some flooding is expected, as the ground remains saturated.

It is thought that as much as 40mm (1.6in) of rain could fall on higher ground or coastal areas in Southern England and South Wales on New Year's Day, with winds gusting to 60mph.

Motorists are being warned against driving through floodwater to prevent accidents andbreakdowns . The Environment Agency is advising everyone travelling by road to keep up to date on the latest flood warnings.